What If... All the Rumors Were True (21 page)

COME ON, IRENE

Father does not always know best.

“I
've got some news,” Irene announced. She and Haley were sitting in the courtyard eating lunch. “I'm quitting the play.”

“What?” Haley was stunned. “But we need you! You're the most brilliant set designer ever! If you quit, the magical forest of Arden will look like a tumbleweed patch in Texas. Why are you quitting?”

“My parents, why else?” Irene said with a sigh. “They say the play takes up too much of my time. My grades are slipping again and I'm not working hard enough at the restaurant.”

“That's ridiculous,” Haley said. “You work harder than anyone I know. What did Shaun say?”

“I haven't told him yet. But I can guess what he'll say: ‘Hee-haw, screw them.'”

“Irene, you are so talented,” Haley said. “Your talent continually blows me away. But you can't let your parents control you so much. Stand up for yourself! You should be allowed to pursue the activities that interest you. How are you supposed to get into college if your only extracurricular is hostessing at a restaurant?”

“You don't understand,” Irene said. “I can't reason with them. They believe children should never question their parents. Parents are always right.”

“But they're not right this time, and you know it,” Haley said. “You've got to stand up to them, Irene. Your future depends on it.”

Irene paused. She seemed to really be taking what Haley was saying to heart.

“Fight for your right to paint,” Haley added.

“Okay. I will.”

Somehow, Haley wasn't sure if Irene really meant what she said.

Haley's taking a risk, getting involved in Irene's family life. Irene's parents have always been strict, but this time, in Haley's opinion, they've gone too far. But will Irene just get into more trouble if she takes Haley's advice?

If you think Haley should keep supporting Irene in her plea for independence and risk the wrath of Mr. Chen, go to
"BASEMENT DWELLERS"
. If you think Haley should mind her own business, and that business should have something to do with the cute senior who is rumored to have a crush on her, Alex Martin, go to
"DATE WITH ALEX"
.

Friends need all the support they can get—but butting into someone else's family life can cause a lot of trouble. Handle with care.

BODEGA'S BOLOGNA

You can't teach an old
perro
new tricks.

“I
was so stupid to give you up,” Sebastian said to Haley over lunch. “Look at you. Beautiful. A nice girl. Sensible. With a good head on her neck.”

“You mean shoulders?” Not exactly the most romantic words Haley'd ever heard, but she'd take them.

“Did I say beautiful?” Sebastian grinned, his bright white teeth lighting up his gorgeous face.

“You can say that as many times as you want,” Haley said.
Maybe I
should
give Sebastian another chance,
she thought.
He's so sexy, so romantic, so passionate, I'd be crazy not to jump all over this.

“And you're smart too,” Sebastian said. “Not like that crazy Mia. What a flirt! She cannot resist any man—she's always putting her hands all over them.”

“Yeah, well, not everyone's as self-controlled and levelheaded as I am,” Haley said, though she felt annoyed at the continued mention of Mia's name.

“She likes all the men, but especially the older men,” Sebastian said. “I think that's wrong. Don't you?”

“Well, it's not the healthiest way to go through high school.” Haley tried to keep the irritation out of her voice, but she was beginning to wonder whether this lunch was about her and Sebastian or Mia. He certainly seemed to think Mia was the more interesting topic of conversation.

“You would never do that to me, would you, Haley?” Sebastian said, caressing her hand. “You know how to behave with a boyfriend, not to throw yourself at every cheap bald man who offers you jewelry…”

Oops. When will Haley learn? Looks as though Haley got burned by the hot tamale once again. It's pretty obvious that Sebastian is still obsessed with Mia, and as far as he's concerned, Haley will always be second best. Sebastian can't tame Mia, so he'll take Haley as a consolation prize? How selfish!

Haley may have been lured in by Sebastian's extremely toned swimmer's body and his suave charms, but she doesn't want to be anyone's alternate. She's going to have to forget about Sebastian and start over again.

Go back to Chapter 1.

DATE WITH ALEX

What is written in the stars isn't always easy to make out from a distance.

“T
here's the Big Dipper.” Alex pointed to a cup-shaped star formation on the planetarium ceiling. For their first official date, Alex had driven Haley into Manhattan and taken her to the planetarium at the Museum of Natural History. They sat inside the huge dome and gazed up at the stars. It was almost as romantic as lying in a field and watching the real night sky. Haley was duly impressed by how much Alex knew about astronomy.

“Those two stars at the front of the cup are called pointers because they always point to the North Star,” Alex said. “See it?”

Haley drew a line from the front of the Big Dipper to a bright star a few inches above it. “I see it. Cool.”

“No matter where the Big Dipper is, whether it's upside down or in the west or east, it always points to the North Star,” Alex said. “I love that about the universe. It's mysterious and strange, but also consistent. You can count on it. So now you'll always know which way north is.”

“And I can never get lost again,” Haley said. “Well, except during the daytime.”

“Then you can use the sun,” Alex reminded her.

“Not on cloudy days, though,” Haley said, continuing to debate the ultimate debater.

“Well, I hope you never get lost,” Alex said, relenting. “At least not so lost that I can't find you.”

They sat together quietly for a minute, taking in the twinkling lights.

“Do you know the constellations?” Alex asked. “There's Libra….”

At the mention of constellations, the California girl in Haley got the best of her. “What sign are you?” she asked.

Alex laughed. “Leo. It's that lion-shaped constellation up there. How about you?”

“Aquarius,” she said.
Leo—yes!
she thought. She'd read that Leo and Aquarius were highly compatible—and the better she got to know Alex, the more she felt this was really true. “I'm an air sign,” she said. “And Leo's fire.”

“Fire needs air,” Alex said. “Or it dies out. Isn't that how it goes? Not that I buy into any of that foolishness.”

“I figured,” Haley said. She turned her eyes away from the stars and caught him gazing at her face. Then he leaned close and kissed her.

“I've liked you from the moment I first noticed you lost in the math wing last year.”

“Really?” Haley said. “You sure didn't act like it at first.”

“I was playing hard to get,” Alex teased.

“Well,” said Haley, “I'm glad I gave you a chance.”

“So am I,” Alex replied.

He kissed her again, and she put her arms around him. Haley suddenly felt the urge to never let go. Alex was a senior, which meant he'd be off to college in just a few months, and they would have to make the best of the time they had. She gazed up, hoping this was only the first of many romantic liaisons under the stars. Alex's grip on her was every bit as tight, and she knew in that moment he felt exactly the same way.

 

THE END

INVESTIGATE MIA

It doesn't take a lot to shock a small town.

“D
o you think Mia just crashed Casino Night?” Haley said to Coco. “Not that I'd put anything past her, but crashing a political fund-raiser seems crazy even for her.”

Coco had invited Haley to lunch at the country club. They sat outside on the terrace, basking in the last of the October sun. Haley wasn't sure what Coco wanted until the subject of Mia came up; then she understood.

“Did you see the security at the Etons' house?” Coco said. “There's no way she crashed. And I saw Spencer's guest list—she wasn't on it.”

“Someone must have
bought
her a ticket,” Haley said. “But who?”

“I don't know,” Coco said. “Although I have my suspicions. And I think I know how we can find out.” She leaned forward and stared across the lawn toward the golf course. “Here she comes now.”

“Who?” Haley saw a trim, familiar-looking woman in her twenties striding toward them in a golf skirt. A caddie trailed along behind her.

“Rachel,” Coco said. “Mrs. Eton's social secretary.”

So that was why the woman looked familiar, Haley thought. She must have seen Rachel at the Eton's soiree.

Coco summoned a waiter with a finger in the air. “Would you please ask Ms. Horton if she'd like to join us at our table for coffee?”

“Certainly, Miss De Clerq.”

Fifteen minutes later, Rachel Horton appeared at their table carrying a gym bag and a briefcase. “Hello, Coco. Drinking coffee now? I thought you lived on the plasma of young boys.”

Coco pretended to laugh through gritted teeth. “Rachel loves to tease,” she said to Haley. “Rach, honey, I need a favor. Do you still have the guest lists from Casino Night?”

“I might,” Rachel said. “But why should I do a favor for you?”

“Because if you don't,” Coco said, “I'll tell Spencer I saw you and Garth canoodling at Bubbies the other night.”

Rachel went pale.

“Who's Garth?” Haley asked.

“The campaign manager for Peter Welch, Mrs. Eton's biggest competitor,” Coco said. “It doesn't look good when functionaries from rival campaigns fraternize, now, does it?”

“We were only exchanging messages,” Rachel said. “Mrs. Eton offered to stop criticizing his health care policy if he stopped looking into Spencer's rap sheet.”

“Sure you were,” Coco said. “Through your tongues.”

“Okay,” Rachel said. “What do you want to know?”

“Look for the name Mia Delgado,” Coco said. “I want to know whose guest list she was on.”

Rachel opened her briefcase and riffled through her files. “Here it is. Mia Delgado. On the private guest list of Mr. Jerry Klein.”

Haley gasped. “Whitney's father?”

“The very same,” Coco said.

“Is that all?” Rachel asked.

“For now,” Coco said. “You're dismissed.”

Rachel closed her briefcase and left in a huff.

“Poor Whitney,” Haley said. “Should we tell her?”

“I don't know,” Coco said. “Would you want to know, if it was
your
dad chasing around after a girl in our grade?”

What a dog. Haley couldn't imagine her dad behaving this way, which doesn't make it any easier to know what to do. It's hard for Haley to believe that Mia would flirt so shamelessly with someone's father. What does Mia want from Mr. Klein, anyway? Is she after something tangible, or is she just incapable of not flirting around the opposite sex? And what will Trish think of all this? After only a year, she's already being replaced?

If you think Whitney deserves to know the truth about her father, send Haley off to tell her on
"HIGH SCHOOL HOME-WRECKER"
. If you think Haley should protect volatile Whitney's feelings and keep this to herself—and hope that Coco does the same—go to
"CONCEALED WEAPON"
.

Even if Haley keeps this gossip to herself, there's no way of knowing what destructive Coco will do. If you think Haley should cut her ties with the callow Spencer/Coco/Whitney crowd, send her off to fortify her friendship with Sasha on
"INCURABLE FLIRT"
.

This information is dynamite in Haley's hands. It's up to you to help her handle it in just the right way, before it all blows up in her face.